by Nicki Ruth
Alexios was forced out of his reminiscing when Brandr sauntered onto the bridge. He dropped into a chair and propped his booted feet on the table, arms folded behind his head.
“I thought Jason was to stay behind.”
“My youngest is stubborn, like all of you,” Alexios said.
Brandr grinned, his electric blue eyes sparkling. “You sure know how to pick ‘em. I left your woman in her room, but she’s probably walking about, sticking her nose where it’s not wanted.”
Alexios smiled and raised an eyebrow. “My woman?”
“Yea. Your woman. You’ve been irritable since you fished her outta space. And the way you look at her . . .” Brandr pressed his lips together and made kissing noises, rolling his eyes.
“Improving your sarcasm, I see.” He chuckled. “I find Davina fascinating, and as she is our sovereign, I’m sworn to protect her. As will you, Brandr.” Alexios looked at his sireling pointedly.
Brandr waved his hand in the air. “Yes, faaather,” he drawled, giving his best Jason impression.
It had been some time since Brandr had been in such high spirits. It seemed his Viking was looking forward to sinking his axe into warm flesh.
∞∞∞
“Psst! Davina!” Jason poked his head through a doorway as Davina walked down the hall.
Her eyes widened. “Jason! Are you supposed to be here?”
Jason shook his head and placed a finger over his lips for quiet. He grabbed her and pulled her into the room. The door closed behind them.
“When Alexios finds out, he won’t be pleased,” she whispered.
Jason only grinned and tugged her further into what looked to be a storage room.
“I’m sick of being cast aside. Besides, I won’t let you deal with Brandr alone. He can be such a grump!”
Jason scrunched up his face, causing Davina to laugh. Leave it to Jason to bring humor to the situation.
“I’m staying here until we dock. By then, father will be more busy than mad.” He winked.
Davina chuckled. “Do you think he’ll be very mad?”
“Yes!” a voice thundered behind them. They both jumped, guilty looks on their faces.
“Jason, I gave you explicit instructions, yet here you are, stowed away on my ship. Explain yourself.” Alexios stepped into the room with his arms folded across his chest.
Davina backed cautiously out of his way but was impressed when Jason squared his shoulders and bravely marched toward his sire.
“Father, I refuse to be left behind. You must stop treating me like a child. I’m just as capable as Marius or Brandr, yet you all refuse to acknowledge my abilities!”
“Jason, I don’t doubt your abilities. I trained you myself, remember?” Alexios said. “I needed you to stay with Marius. Now he’s alone with no one he can trust at his side. Did you consider that? I needed your keen senses to help Marius with his search. Have you forgotten whom we seek?”
Jason frowned and looked away. He rubbed his face then sighed. “I’m sorry. I hadn’t thought of Marius.”
“No, you didn’t. You acted rashly. And you wonder why Marius and Brandr treat you like a child.” Alexios placed his hand on Jason’s shoulder. “Let this be a lesson to you. And do not dare disobey an order of mine again. Are we clear?”
“I’m sorry,” Jason said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re right.”
Alexios sighed and stepped around Jason. “Now that you’re here, head to the bridge. I left instructions for you with Brandr.” Alexios waited until Jason’s footsteps sounded down the hallway before giving his full attention to Davina. “And you!”
“I’m innocent!” Davina threw her hands into the air. They both laughed.
“You’re to follow my every instruction when we arrive. Understand? I want to be in and out as quickly and quietly as possible.”
“Yes,” she said, gazing up at him. He looked ravishing in his tight, black, leather pants and his black, fitted tunic that opened at the neck, exposing his chest. His dark hair hung loosely around his face, and he smiled, exposing his dimple. Davina flushed, her heart beginning to race.
Alexios grinned wider, as if he knew he had kindled the scorching flames of her desire. He stepped to her and pulled her into an embrace. Breathing in his scent of pine and spice, her mind went numb to who and where she was. She sighed and relaxed against his chest. Whenever she was near him, she felt at peace, as if he were able to pacify the confused unrest within her. He groaned against her as she nuzzled his neck.
“Do you need to drink? You should be better able to control your thirst now,” he whispered in her ear.
Davina hesitated. She didn’t want to risk losing control of her thirst, not when she seemed to have gained some tentative command over it.
“I . . . I don’t think that’s wise,” she said, conflicted between her craving for his offering and her fear of losing herself to the seductive lure of her thirst.
“We can try. Go on.” He tilted his head, exposing his pale neck that shone as a beacon against his dark clothing.
Her fangs descended before she could stop them, her claws digging into his shoulders. His blood was divine. She gulped hungrily and steadily. Alexios held her close, keeping her at his vein.
After a few moments, he said, “Now, Davina, retract your fangs. Slowly.”
She heard his words but didn’t want to stop.
“Focus. You can do it,” he whispered.
She resisted but tried to focus on his voice, on the warmth that cocooned her. Then out her fangs came from his neck!
She looked at him in wonder as he smiled down at her. “I did it!” she beamed.
She could control it! She grabbed him behind the neck and kissed him. He pulled her to him and deepened their kiss. She pressed into him giddy at the sensations tumbling through her. She wanted this vampire badly. And she would have him. Desire spiraled through her, and she moaned deeply into their kiss.
To her disappointment, Alexios pulled away. He caressed her face, brushing back her unruly curls.
“Soon, Davina,” he whispered. “Soon.”
Chapter 19
Four long days after docking, Davina, Alexios, and Brandr arrived at the prison. Jason had stayed at the ship. Alexios attempted to convince Davina to remain behind as well, but that didn’t go well for him.
Lexi had not spoken of her home much, but what Davina saw of Gia was beautiful. It was lush and green, with trees as tall as the eye could see, stretching up into a big, blue sky. Large, winged creatures with iridescent scales glided above, some being ridden by fae. Most fae, she observed, had built elaborate dwellings in the trees, in the mountains, and even on the water.
Lexi had once explained that fae drew their strength from nature and needed to be close to it. Some were able to use magic, drawn from nature, but only after years of study. Contrary to what Alexios had said, the fae they met seemed friendly enough. Most were colored like the natural world they lived in—varying shades of green, brown, and red hair, and skin ranging from pale, sandy browns to as dark as the richest soil, some even with spots or stripes, but all different from Lexi’s pale skin and pink hair.
At the entrance to the prison, they were searched by armed guards and then ushered inside by the short, pudgy warden, who looked at them warily, not bothering to hide his aversion to vampires. The prison was a giant, stone structure carved into the side of a snowy mountain. There was no water or vegetation for miles, and Davina shivered at the thought of Lexi being trapped in this place, away from life.
“Which one of my prisoners did you say you are here to interrogate on behalf of the empire?” the warden asked as he led the way to his office.”
“I have the paperwork here, Warden,” Alexios said.
“Oh, yes, yes.” He bobbed his head, taking the sheets of paper in his fat hands. “Ah, let’s see. Umhmm . . . yes. Umhmm.” He stuck his tongue out as he read.
Davina noticed the look Alexios gave Brandr,
just before Brandr stepped back a few paces and shimmered away. She said nothing, trusting that all was going according to plan. When they reached the office a few minutes later, the warden lifted his head from the papers in his hand.
“Yes, yes. Well, the prisoner you seek is down below on level three. I will escort you there.” The warden fiddled with the keys on his hip before he looked up and narrowed his eyes. “Weren’t there three of you? Where is your man? The big, hulking one?”
“Just beyond the doorway, Warden,” Alexios answered smoothly.
The warden shoved past him, muttering under his breath about vile, untrustworthy bloodsuckers. He looked out the doorway. “Your man is not here, sir!” he shouted. “What trickery is this?”
Then to Davina’s disbelief, the warden’s pointed ears grew longer, horns sprouted from his head, and his body grew in size. She gasped, but Alexios stood unflinching.
“Warden, my man is right there.” Alexios pointed to a spot behind the warden, who by this time was double the size he was before, with black horns at least ten inches long curling from his hairline to the back of his head. The warden turned to see Brandr leaning against the stone wall.
He huffed, his hulking form shrinking back to its original size. The horns sank into his head. “You vampires are wily and unscrupulous. Tell me, where did your man go?”
“I told you, my man was just beyond the door,” Alexios replied impatiently. “Are you so ancient you’re unable to see him standing just there? I'm here on imperial business. Please, can we get on with it?”
The warden glared at Alexios, who coolly stared back. He then shifted his gaze to Davina. “And this one?”
“Also empire business,” Alexios said curtly. “Sir, the sooner we can get started, the sooner we wily vampires can leave this accursed place.”
“Indeed,” the warden replied snidely and lumbered down the hall.
Davina was beginning to understand why Alexios was so wary of fae. The warden had transformed so quickly into a hulking beast. Although she had never seen Lexi transform into anything, she would never underestimate any fae again.
They followed, with Brandr falling in step behind them. After several turns down multiple corridors and flights of stairs, they arrived at level three. The warden jangled his keys and opened a rusty, metal door. Inside was a dimly lit room with one table and one chair. Brandr stayed by the door as the rest entered. A small, wretched-looking fae was chained to the wall.
“Thank you, Warden. We’ll take it from here.” Alexios looked pointedly from the warden to the door. The warden narrowed his eyes and shuffled away.“And don’t worry,” Alexios smirked, “my man will remain at the door.”
The warden grumbled and shut the door firmly behind them. They waited in silence until his footsteps could no longer be heard on the stone floor.
Davina started to panic. Where was Lexi? “Alexios, this is not—”
“Be quiet. We have an audience,” Alexios whispered, pointing to the prisoner against the wall. He unfolded a black cloth from his pocket and made his way toward the fae.
“We’re going to ask you a few questions, Prisoner 357, but first I must blindfold you.” He tied the cloth around the prisoner’s head.
Brandr shimmered into the room. “There are darkened cells at the very bottom levels,” he whispered. “I sensed two life forms down there. Very faint.”
“And the guards?” Alexios asked while removing his jacket.
Brandr grinned. “Disabled.”
“Good. Remain by the door,” Alexios said then turned to Davina. “I need you to stay here and ask our prisoner some questions while I retrieve Lexi.” He thrust a sheet of paper into her hands. “We need to make it sound like we’re conducting an interrogation.”
“But how would you know who she is?” Davina said. “I should go with you.”
“Don't worry. I’ll know.” Then Alexios was gone.
Davina’s hand shook as she looked at the paper in her hand. She cleared her throat and began to recite the questions written on the paper.
“Mr. Rootweiss. Please tell me when last you saw your accomplice, Mr. Datkiss . . .”
∞∞∞
Alexios shimmered down to the lowest level he could sense. It was dark, but vampire vision was honed for darkness. He made his way down the cold, dank corridor to a cell on his right. Peering in through the blackness, he saw a form chained to the wall, its head completely encased in an iron mask. He couldn’t tell whether it was male or female, much less whether it was Lexi.
However, he had come prepared. Lexi was a priestess who could manipulate and draw power from nature in ways normal fae couldn’t. He withdrew a fistful of soil from his pocket. If she reacted to the presence of earth then he had found his target.
Hopefully, luck was on his side. He threw the soil at the masked prisoner and waited. When nothing happened after a few minutes, he moved on to another cell farther down the hall.
The cell door tingled when he touched it. Magic? This must be Lexi. He peeked inside, and what he saw made him cringe. The chained prisoner was suspended in the air, wrapped completely in cloth and barbed wire. The cloth was stained with dried blood. Her captors had been careful to keep her from the elements at all costs.
He threw the soil at the prisoner, and some landed near the face. There was no response, but he waited for a few minutes. Soon he heard a soft, ghostly moan. The smell of fresh blood wafted in the air, a fresh wound no doubt caused by the barbed wire. This surely was the priestess.
He tried to shimmer into the room, but it was enchanted. Gods, he hated magic! He’d have to take care of the blasted enchanted door. One of his gifts was the ability to harness electrical energy, rare for a vampire, and it came with consequences. He charged electrical energy in the palm of his hand to temporarily short-circuit the magical current flowing through the door and cell walls. The energy built into a crackling ball, and when it got to a decent size, he thrust the ball at the door. It crackled and sizzled, and energy surged into and through him.
He channeled the energy out and away from the door, but the pain was tremendous. He grunted. He needed to move quickly. With the barrier diminished, he popped into the cell and quickly ripped the chains from the walls. He knew he was causing her pain, but there wasn’t time to unwrap the body from the barbed wire; he had only short-circuited the magic—without destroying the source, it would be back up soon.
He held onto the wrapped body and shimmered back to Davina. She jumped. He motioned for her to be quiet. Her wide-eyed stare locked onto the form he carried. Carefully, he laid the body down and slowly began unwinding the wire. He pulled the cloth back from the head, and Davina gasped as white hair with faint pink streaks cascaded out.
Lexi.
∞∞∞
Brandr sensed his sire’s return and smiled. Soon they would be out of this depressing place. He remained vigilant outside the door but missed his battle axe, which had been confiscated at the prison gates. He was uneasy without it. Suddenly, sirens blasted throughout the prison, and footsteps sounded against the stone. He pounded the door. “Time to go, Alexios!”
Brandr was hoping for an eventful exit. His blood pounded for it. The guards’ footsteps came closer when Alexios and Davina finally came out the room carrying an unconscious fae. They tried to shimmer out of the prison but found they could not.
Brandr grinned. They were going to fight their way out after all. “Ready?” he said.
Alexios smirked. “Let’s go. Davina, stay close to Brandr.”
Brandr cursed. He wanted to fight unrestrained, not babysit Davina. They sprinted down the hallway and came upon a group of armed guards. Some were horned beasts; others had wings, which did them no good in the confines of the hallway.
Brandr let loose a battle cry and charged, claws and fangs bared. His bloodlust rose to the surface, but he tempered it. He didn’t need to go all out today. A vampire’s bloodlust acted like an extra dose of adrenaline, but Brandr’s w
as stronger than most. He figured it was because he was a born warrior, one who lived to fight and defeat any who stood against him. Alexios had patiently taught him to control it over the years.
Brandr slashed at the first fae, ripping out his throat with his claws. Warm blood splashed across his face, and he licked the sides of his mouth with a grin. He grabbed the horns of another fae, bending his head sharply backward, snapping bone and tearing skin. Blood sprayed from exposed veins. He tossed the body aside. He picked up the sword of one of the fallen, tossed it to Alexios, and continued forward. His sire would dispatch any that managed to get past him.
He made quick work of the guards in the hallway—about eleven of them. But more were coming. He ripped limbs from bodies and slashed throats, clearing a path for Davina and Alexios.
Then came the behemoth. A winged, twelve-foot-tall monster with thick horns and sharp claws. Brandr paused. Glancing back, he saw Davina had also armed herself with a sword. She looked fierce. He was impressed.
He turned his attention back to the beast. Well, the bigger they are, the harder they fall, or so they say. He charged, jumping and dodging the massive fist that swiped his way. He slashed at the beast’s arm, but its skin was too thick. Time to change tactics. He leapt behind the beast’s head and aimed for the eyes, but horns emerged from its neck and slashed Brandr’s arm and foot. He grunted, losing his hold. The beast was proving to be quite formidable. Before he could think of another point of attack, something slammed into his back, sending him crashing into the wall. He felt several of his ribs crack and groaned in pain.
Alexios stood in front of him, still carrying his bundle, Davina at his side. His sire slashed at the beast, but the sword was useless against its thick hide. Brandr struggled to his knees. What the hell had slammed into him? Then he saw it. The beast had an armored tail. Damn!